Pattern formation method and method for manufacturing a semiconductor device

ABSTRACT

In a pattern formation method, a photo resist pattern is formed over a target layer to be patterned. An extension material layer is formed on the photo resist pattern. The target layer is patterned by using at least the extension material layer as an etching mask.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/428,029 filed on May 31, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,943,791, whichclaims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/753,901filed on Oct. 31, 2018, the entire contents of each of which areincorporated herein by references.

BACKGROUND

As the semiconductor industry has progressed into nanometer technologyprocess nodes in pursuit of higher device density, higher performance,and lower costs, challenges from both fabrication and design issues havegreater. For example, multilayer mask structures are used for formingcontact holes (vias) and/or metal connections in and/or through aninterlayer dielectric (ILD) layer disposed above a semiconductor device,such as field effect transistors (FETs).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is best understood from the following detaileddescription when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasizedthat, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, variousfeatures are not drawn to scale and are used for illustration purposesonly. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarilyincreased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1A is a cross sectional view of one of the various stages of asequential pattern formation operation according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 1B is a cross sectional view of one of thevarious stages of a sequential pattern formation operation according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1C is a top view (planview) of one of the various stages of a sequential pattern formationoperation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1Dis a cross sectional view of one of the various stages of a sequentialpattern formation operation according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 1E is a cross sectional view of one of the variousstages of a sequential pattern formation operation according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a cross sectional view of one of the various stages of asequential pattern formation operation according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 2B is a cross sectional view of one of thevarious stages of a sequential pattern formation operation according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2C is a cross sectionalview of one of the various stages of a sequential pattern formationoperation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2Dis a cross sectional view of one of the various stages of a sequentialpattern formation operation according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 2E is a cross sectional view of one of the variousstages of a sequential pattern formation operation according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a cross sectional view of one of the various stages of asequential manufacturing operation for a semiconductor device accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3B is a cross sectionalview of one of the various stages of a sequential manufacturingoperation for a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 3C is a cross sectional view of one of thevarious stages of a sequential manufacturing operation for asemiconductor device according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 3D is a cross sectional view of one of the variousstages of a sequential manufacturing operation for a semiconductordevice according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3E isa cross sectional view of one of the various stages of a sequentialmanufacturing operation for a semiconductor device according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3F is a cross sectional viewof one of the various stages of a sequential manufacturing operation fora semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4A is a cross sectional view of one of the various stages of asequential pattern formation operation according to another embodimentof the present disclosure. FIG. 4B is a top view (plan view) of one ofthe various stages of a sequential pattern formation operation accordingto another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4C is a crosssectional view of one of the various stages of a sequential patternformation operation according to another embodiment of the presentdisclosure. FIG. 4D is a top view of one of the various stages of asequential pattern formation operation according to another embodimentof the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides manydifferent embodiments, or examples, for implementing different featuresof the invention. Specific embodiments or examples of components andarrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure.These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to belimiting. For example, dimensions of elements are not limited to thedisclosed range or values, but may depend upon process conditions and/ordesired properties of the device. Moreover, the formation of a firstfeature over or on a second feature in the description that follows mayinclude embodiments in which the first and second features are formed indirect contact, and may also include embodiments in which additionalfeatures may be formed interposing the first and second features, suchthat the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Variousfeatures may be arbitrarily drawn in different scales for simplicity andclarity.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees orat other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly. In addition, the term“made of” may mean either “comprising” or “consisting of.” In thepresent disclosure, a phrase “one of A, B and C” means “A, B and/or C”(A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B and C), and does not meanone element from A, one element from B and one element from C, unlessotherwise described.

In the following embodiments, material, configurations, dimensions,operations and/or processes of one embodiment may be employed in anotherembodiment, unless otherwise described, and detailed explanation thereofmay be omitted.

Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to a pattern formationmethod, in particular, for a semiconductor device. In variousembodiments, the semiconductor device includes fin field effecttransistors (FinFETs), gate all-around FET (GAA FET), and/or other MOStransistors, together with capacitors, resistances and/or otherelectronic elements.

As the design rule for a semiconductor integrated circuit becomes belowabout 15 nm, requirements for lithography operations to form finerpatterns becomes tighter. For example, a thickness of photo resistbecomes thinner. However, since the photo resist pattern is used as anetching mask when an underlying layer is etched, the thin photo resistlayer may not have a sufficient thickness for the etching. Further,after the photo resist layer is developed, a resist scum (residue) mayremain between photo resist patterns. In addition, the thickness of thephoto resist pattern may become uneven, which would cause a patterndefect.

In the present disclosure, pattern formation methods to resolve theaforementioned issues are provided.

FIGS. 1A-1E show a sequential pattern formation operation according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. It is understood thatadditional operations can be provided before, during, and after theoperations shown by FIGS. 1A-1E, and some of the operations describedbelow can be replaced or eliminated, for additional embodiments of themethod. The order of the operations/processes may be interchangeable.

As shown in FIG. 1A, a target layer 20 to be patterned is formed over asubstrate 10, and a photo resist layer 30 is formed over the targetlayer 20. In some embodiments, underlying devices are formed over thesubstrate 10, and the target layer 20 covers the underlying devices.Examples of the underlying devices may include static random accessmemory (SRAM) and/or other logic circuits; passive components such asresistors, capacitors, and inductors; and active components such asP-channel field effect transistors (PFET), N-channel FET (NFET),metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET);complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors, such as aFinFET; bipolar transistors; high voltage transistors; high frequencytransistor, other memory cells, and combinations thereof. Thesemiconductor device may include a plurality of semiconductor devices(e.g., transistors), which may be interconnected. It is understood,however, that the application should not be limited to a particular typeof device, except as specifically claimed.

In some embodiments, the substrate 10 is a silicon substrate.Alternatively, the substrate 10 may comprise another elementarysemiconductor, such as germanium; a compound semiconductor includingGroup IV-IV compound semiconductors such as SiC and SiGe, Group III-Vcompound semiconductors such as GaAs, GaP, GaN, InP, InAs, InSb, GaAsP,AlGaN, AlInAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInP, and/or GaInAsP; or combinationsthereof. Amorphous substrates, such as amorphous Si or amorphous SiC, oran insulating material, such as silicon oxide may also be used as thesubstrate 10. The substrate 10 may include various regions that havebeen suitably doped with impurities (e.g., p-type or n-typeconductivity).

The target layer 20 is a dielectric layer, a conductive layer or asemiconductor layer, and the combination thereof. The dielectric layerincludes silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride (SiON),SiOCN, fluorine-doped silicate glass (FSG), or a low-k dielectricmaterial (e.g., SiOC and SiOCN), or any other suitable dielectricmaterial. The dielectric layer can be formed by chemical vapordeposition (CVD) or other suitable film forming processes. Theconductive layer includes a metallic layer made of Cu, Al, AlCu, Ti,TiN, Ta, TaN, W, Co, Ni, silicide thereof, or other suitable conductivematerial. The semiconductor layer includes poly silicon, amorphoussilicon or any other suitable semiconductor material.

The photo resist layer 30 is a positive tone photo resist or a negativetone photo resist. The thickness of the photo resist layer 30 is in arange from about 50 nm to about 500 nm in some embodiments, and is in arange from about 100 nm to about 200 nm in other embodiments. The photoresist layer 30 is spin-coated over the target layer 20 and a pre-bakingoperation is performed in some embodiments. In some embodiments, abottom anti-reflection coating is formed between the photo resist layer30 and the target layer 20.

Then, the photo resist layer 30 is exposed to an exposure energy beam,such as KrF excimer layer, ArF excimer laser and an EUV light, through aphoto mask having circuit patterns, in some embodiments. In otherembodiments, an electron beam is used.

After the exposed photo resist layer is developed with an appropriatedeveloping solution, a photo resist pattern 31 is formed over the targetlayer 20, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C. FIG. 1B is a cross sectionalview, and the FIG. 1C is a plan view. After the development, a postbaking process is performed. In some embodiments, a curing operation,such as UV curing, is performed to harden the developed photo resistpattern.

In some embodiments, the photo resist pattern 31 includes line-and-spacepatterns. A line pattern made of the photo resist layer has a width W1in a range from about 5 nm to about 20 nm in some embodiments. A spaceS1 between adjacent lines is in a range from about 5 nm to about 40 nmin some embodiments, and is in a range from about 5 nm to about 20 nm insome embodiments. The ratio S1/W1 is in a range from about 1 to about 4in some embodiments. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1C, nopattern (space) is formed at areas outside the area in which theline-and-space patterns are disposed. In some embodiments, multipleareas in which the line-and-space patterns are disposed separated by anon-pattern area are provided. A width or length of the non-pattern areais greater than 100 nm in some embodiments. In some embodiments, anaspect ratio of each of the line patterns is at least 2. In certainembodiments, the aspect ratio is smaller than 40.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1D, an extension material layer 40 is depositedover the photo resist pattern 31. As shown in FIG. 1D, the extensionmaterial layer is formed on each of the line patterns and on thenon-pattern area. The extension material layer 40 is formed by chemicalvapor deposition (CVD) under a non-conformal deposition condition insome embodiments. A space S2 between the adjacent extension materiallayers 40 is in a range from about 2 nm to about 30 nm in someembodiments.

FIGS. 2A-2E show details of the non-conformal deposition of theextension material layer 40. FIG. 2A shows an enlarged cross sectionalview of two line patterns 31 (photo resist layer). One or more sourcegases for forming the extension material layer 40 are provided over thephoto resist patterns 31. Initially, the source gases and/or reactedproducts cover the top face of the photo resist pattern 31, the sidefaces of the photo resist pattern 31 and the surface of the target layer20 between the photo resist patterns 31, forming a thin layer of theextension material layer 40. When the deposition condition isnon-conformal, a deposition rate of the extension material layer 40 atthe top face of the photo resist pattern 31 is greater than a depositionrate of the extension material layer 40 at the side faces and adeposition rate of the extension material layer at the surface of thetarget layer. Further, the deposition of the extension material layer 40in a lateral direction also occurs. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 2Cand 2D, the extension material layer 40 is formed like a mushroom orballoon shape. Once the mushroom shape is formed, a space between theextension material layers deposited over adjacent line patterns becomessmaller, which further suppresses the deposition of the extensionmaterial layer on the side faces of the photo resist pattern 31 and onthe surface of the target layer 20.

As shown in FIG. 2D, a thickness T1 of the extension material layer 40deposited at the surface of the target layer 20 between the adjacentphoto resist patterns 31 is much smaller than a thickness T2 of theextension material layer 40 deposited at the top face of the photoresist pattern 31. In some embodiments, 2≤T2/T1 is satisfied. In otherembodiments, 30≤T2/T1≤300 is satisfied. In some embodiments, thicknessT2 is in a range from about 10 nm to about 300 nm. In some embodiments,thickness T1 is zero.

The extension material layer 40 includes one or more of a carbon basedmaterial, a silicon oxide based material, and a silicon nitride basedmaterial in some embodiments. When the extension material layer is acarbon based material, a source gas for the CVD includes one selectedfrom the group consisting of hydro carbon and fluorocarbon in someembodiments. One or more additional gases, such as N₂ and H₂, are alsoused in some embodiments. When the extension material layer is a siliconoxide based material, a source gas for the CVD includes a siliconcontaining gas, such as SiH₄, SiH₂Cl₂, SiCl₄ and Si₂H₆ together with anoxygen source gas, such as O₂, in some embodiments. One or moreadditional gases, such as N₂ and H₂, are also used in some embodiments.When the extension material layer is a silicon nitride based material, asource gas for the CVD includes a silicon containing gas, such as SiH₄,SiH₂Cl₂, SiCl₄ and Si₂H₆ together with a nitrogen source gas, such asN₂, NH₃ and NO₂ in some embodiments. Any other suitable material, suchas an aluminum based material (aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride oraluminum oxynitride) or hafnium oxide, can be used as the extensionmaterial layer 40.

The CVD includes plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) and low pressure CVD(LPCVD). The non-conformal deposition condition of CVD can be realizedby adjusting one or more parameters of a pressure, a gas flow rate, atemperature and plasma power (in case of PECVD). In some embodiments,the pressure in a deposition chamber is in a range from about 1 mTorr toabout 500 mTorr, and is in a range from about 20 mTorr to about 100mTorr. In the case of PECVD, a bias voltage applied to the stage onwhich the substrate is placed is in a range from about 0V to 100 V.

In some embodiments, after the extension material layer 40 is formed asshown in FIG. 2D, anisotropic etching is performed to remove theextension material layer 40 deposited on the surface of the target layer20, as shown in FIG. 2E. In some embodiments, the thickness T3 of theextension material layer 40 deposited at the top face of the photoresist pattern 31 after the anisotropic etching is in a range from about5 nm to about 200 nm. In some embodiments, side portions of theextension material layer 40 are also etched.

In some embodiments, by controlling a deposition amount to the sidefaces of the photo resist pattern 31, it is possible to reduce a spacebetween adjacent line patterns. In some embodiments, the space isreduced by an amount in a range from about 0.2 nm to about 2.0 nm insome embodiments.

After the extension material layer 40 is formed, the target layer 20 isetched by using the extension material layer 40 and the photo resistpattern 31 as an etching mask. Thereafter, the extension material layer40 and the photo resist pattern 31 are removed, as shown in FIG. 1E.

As set forth above, the extension material layer 40 can bepreferentially formed on the top of the line patterns having relativelynarrow spaces. When there is a large space (e.g., about 40 nm or more)in the photo resist pattern, the extension material layer 40 may beformed on the surface of the target layer 20. Accordingly, in someembodiments of the present disclosure, the photo resist pattern 31 doesnot have such a large space.

FIGS. 3A-3F show a sequential pattern formation operation according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. It is understood thatadditional operations can be provided before, during, and after theoperations shown by FIGS. 3A-3F, and some of the operations describedbelow can be replaced or eliminated, for additional embodiments of themethod. The order of the operations/processes may be interchangeable.Materials, configuration, processes and/or dimensions as described inthe forgoing embodiments may be employed in the following embodiments,detailed explanation thereof may be omitted.

In the following embodiments, a multiple layer resist system isemployed. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3A, a first dielectriclayer 100 is disposed over a substrate 90. In some embodiments, variousunderlying devices are formed on the substrate, and the first layer 100disposed over the underlying devices. In some embodiments, one or moreintermediate layers, such as an interlayer dielectric layer and anetching stop layer, are disposed under the first layer 100.

Examples of the underlying devices may include static random accessmemory (SRAM) and/or other logic circuits; passive components such asresistors, capacitors, and inductors; and active components such asP-channel field effect transistors (PFET), N-channel FET (NFET),metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET);complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors, such as aFinFET; bipolar transistors; high voltage transistors; high frequencytransistors; other memory cells; and combinations thereof. Thesemiconductor device may include a plurality of semiconductor devices(e.g., transistors), which may be interconnected. It is understood,however, that the application should not be limited to a particular typeof device, except as specifically claimed.

In some embodiments, the substrate 90 is a silicon substrate.Alternatively, the substrate 90 may comprise another elementarysemiconductor, such as germanium; a compound semiconductor includingGroup IV-IV compound semiconductors such as SiC and SiGe, Group III-Vcompound semiconductors such as GaAs, GaP, GaN, InP, InAs, InSb, GaAsP,AlGaN, AlInAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInP, and/or GaInAsP; or combinationsthereof. Amorphous substrates, such as amorphous Si or amorphous SiC, oran insulating material, such as silicon oxide may also be used as thesubstrate 90. The substrate 90 may include various regions that havebeen suitably doped with impurities (e.g., p-type or n-typeconductivity).

In some embodiments, the first layer 100 is a dielectric layer includingsilicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride (SiON), SiOCN,fluorine-doped silicate glass (FSG), or a low-k dielectric material, orany other suitable dielectric material. In one embodiment, the firstlayer 100 is a low-k dielectric material layer. The expression “low-k”material refers to materials with a dielectric constant less than about3.9. Suitable low-k dielectric materials include flowable oxides whichare basically ceramic polymers, such as hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ).Additional low-k dielectrics include organic low-k materials, typicallyhaving a dielectric constant of about 2.0 to about 3.8. Organic low-kmaterials include a poly(arylene) ether, BCB (divinylsiloxanebis-benzocyclobutene), and organic-doped silica glasses (OSG) (alsoknown as carbon-doped glasses). Other suitable types of low-kdielectrics are fluorine-doped silica glasses (FSG) and SiCOH. FSGinclude dielectrics formed from precursor gases SiF₄, SiH₄, and N₂O anddielectrics formed from the precursors SiF₄, tetraethylorthosilicate(TEOS), and O₂. Dielectrics formed from TEOS and SiF₄ are known asfluorinated TEOS or FTEOS. The low-k dielectric material may be formedby CVD, atomic layer deposition (ALD), or other suitable film formingprocesses. The thickness of the first layer 100 is in a range from about80 nm to about 150 nm in some embodiments.

Further, a second layer 105 is formed on the first layer 100 in someembodiments. The second layer 105 is a nitrogen-free dielectric layer insome embodiments. In certain embodiments, SiO₂ is used as the secondlayer 105. The second layer 105 can be fabricated in a CVD process,optionally plasma-enhanced, using a gaseous mixture of carbon, silicon,and oxygen sources. In some embodiments, the process parameters can beadjusted to obtain acceptable values of the refractive index n andextinction coefficient k.

In some embodiments, the second layer 105 is made of atetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) based dielectric material, which is aknown layer commonly used as a crosslinking agent in silicone polymersand as a precursor to silicon dioxide in the semiconductor industry. Insome embodiments, the TEOS based layer can be deposited by aspin-on-glass deposition method, although other deposition methods canbe used. The thickness of the second layer 105 is in a range from about20 nm to about 40 nm in some embodiments.

In addition, a third layer 110, as a hard mask layer in someembodiments, such as a TiN layer, is subsequently disposed over thesecond dielectric layer 105. The third layer 110 may be formed by CVD,ALD, or physical vapor deposition (PVD) including sputtering, or anyother suitable film formation methods. The thickness of the third layer110 is in a range from about 20 nm to about 40 nm in some embodiments.

Subsequently, a fourth layer 115 is formed over the third layer 110. Insome embodiments, the fourth layer 115 is a dielectric layer made of oneor more layers of a silicon oxide based material, a silicon nitridebased material, or a silicon carbide based material. In certainembodiments, SiO₂ is used as the fourth layer 115. In some embodiments,the fourth layer 115 is made of a TEOS based dielectric material. Inother embodiments, instead of a dielectric layer, an amorphous orpolycrystalline semiconductor material, such as amorphous Si (a-Si),a-Ge, a-SiGe, polysilicon (poly-Si), poly-SiGe or poly-Ge, is formedover the third layer 110. The fourth layer 115 can be fabricated in aCVD process, optionally plasma-enhanced, using a gaseous mixture ofcarbon, silicon, and oxygen sources. The thickness of the thirddielectric layer is in a range from about 30 nm to about 70 nm in someembodiments.

Still referring to FIG. 3A, a fifth layer 120 is formed over the fourthlayer 115. In some embodiments, the fifth layer 120 is made of adielectric material. In certain embodiments, the fifth layer 120 is madeof an organic material. The organic material may include a plurality ofmonomers or polymers that are not cross-linked. Generally, the fifthlayer 120 may contain a material that is patternable and/or have acomposition tuned to provide anti-reflection properties. Exemplarymaterials for the fifth layer 120 include carbon backbone polymers. Thefifth layer 120 is used to planarize the structure, as the underlyingstructure may be uneven depending on the structure of the devices formedon the substrate 90. In some embodiments, the fifth layer 120 is formedby a spin coating process. In other embodiments, the fifth layer 120 isformed by another suitable deposition process. The thickness of thefifth layer 120 is in a range from about 80 nm to about 120 nm in someembodiments.

The sixth layer 125 is formed over the fifth layer 120. In someembodiments, the sixth layer 125 has a composition that providesanti-reflective properties and/or hard mask properties for thephotolithography process. In some embodiments, the sixth layer 125includes a silicon containing layer (e.g., a silicon hard maskmaterial). The sixth layer 125 may include a silicon-containinginorganic polymer. In other embodiments, the sixth layer 125 includessilicon oxide (e.g., spin-on glass (SOG)), silicon nitride, siliconoxynitride, polycrystalline silicon, a metal-containing organic polymermaterial that contains metal such as titanium, titanium nitride,aluminum, and/or tantalum; and/or other suitable materials. The sixthlayer 125 may be formed by a spin-on coating process, CVD, PVD, and/orother suitable deposition processes. The thickness of the sixth layer125 is in a range from about 15 nm to about 30 nm in some embodiments.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, a photo resist pattern 130 is formed onthe sixth layer 125 by one or more lithography operations, similar toFIGS. 1A-1C. In some embodiments, a resist residue (scum) 135 remains onthe surface of the sixth layer 125. The resist residue may cause abridge defect between adjacent patterns or other defects.

In some embodiments, to remove the resist residue (scum), one or morefirst descum etching operations are performed on the photo resistpattern 130. In some embodiments, the first descum etching operationutilizes an etching gas including fluorine, such as a fluorocarbon(e.g., CF₄). By the first descum etching operation, the resist residue135 is removed. In some embodiments, a part of the photo resist pattern130 and/or a part of the sixth layer 125 are also removed, as shown inFIG. 3B. An amount H1 of etching of the sixth layer 125 is in a rangefrom about 1 nm to about 5 nm in some embodiments.

Subsequently, similar to the operations explained with respect to FIGS.1D and 2A-2E, an extension material layer 140 is formed over the photoresist pattern 130, as shown in FIG. 3C. A height (thickness) H2 of thephoto resist pattern 130 is in a range from about 50 nm to about 200 nmin some embodiments. A thickness H3 of the extension material layer 140deposited at the top face of the photo resist pattern 130 is in a rangefrom about 5 nm to about 200 nm.

In some embodiments, after the extension material layer 40 is formed,one or more second descum etching operations are performed. In someembodiments, the second descum etching operation utilizes an etching gasincluding chlorine, such as Cl₂. By the second descum etching operation,residues or metal-line scums are removed. In some embodiments, the sixthlayer 125 is further partially etched during the second descum etchingoperation. An amount of etching is in a range from about 1 nm to about 5nm in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the first descum etching operation is notperformed, and only the second descum etching operation is performedafter the extension material layer 140 is formed. In other embodiments,the second descum etching operation is not performed, and only the firstdescum etching operation is performed before the extension materiallayer 140 is formed.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, the photo resist patterns 130 may have a thinportion having a smaller thickness than other portions. If the extensionmaterial layer is not formed, the thin portion having a smallerthickness may be cut during the descum etching operation or a subsequentetching operation to pattern the sixth layer 125. By forming theextension material layer 140, it is possible to substantially increasethe “mask pattern” for the subsequent etching. Thus, even if the photoresist patterns 130 has a thin portion having a smaller thickness, it ispossible to prevent a pattern defect (an open circuit defect). Further,since it is possible to compensate the thickness of the photo resistpattern 130, it is possible to effectively remove resist residues by thedescum etching operations which may also etch the photo resist pattern130.

Then, by using the extension material layer 140 and the photo resistpattern 130 as an etching mask, the sixth layer 125 is patterned, asshown in FIG. 3D. After the etching, the extension material layer 140and the photo resist layer 130 are removed in some embodiments.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3E, the fifth layer 120, the fourth layer 115and the third layer 110 are patterned by using the patterned sixth layer125 as an etching mask. The patterning operation includes one or moreplasma dry etching operations. Then, in some embodiments, the patternedsixth layer 125, the patterned fifth layer 130 are removed, as shown inFIG. 3E. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3F, by using the patternedfourth layer 115 and the patterned third layer 110 as an etching mask,the second layer 105 and the first layer 100 are patterned, as shown inFIG. 3F. After the patterning, the patterned fourth layer 115 and thepatterned third layer 110 are removed.

It is understood that the structure shown in FIG. 3F undergoes furtherCMOS processes to form various features such as interconnect vias,interconnect metal layers, passivation layers, etc.

FIGS. 4A-4D show a sequential pattern formation operation according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. It is understood thatadditional operations can be provided before, during, and after theoperations shown by FIGS. 4A-4D, and some of the operations describedbelow can be replaced or eliminated, for additional embodiments of themethod. The order of the operations/processes may be interchangeable.Materials, configuration, processes and/or dimensions as described inthe forgoing embodiments may be employed in the following embodiments,detailed explanation thereof may be omitted.

In the following embodiments, a photo resist layer 230 includes aplurality of hole patterns 235 as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIG. 4A is across sectional view corresponding to line II-II of FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4Bis a top view (plan view).

As shown in FIG. 4A, the hole pattern 235 has a diameter W11 in a rangefrom about 5 nm to about 40 nm in some embodiments. By performingoperations as explained with FIGS. 2A-2E, an extension material layer240 is formed over the photo resist layer 230. After the deposition orthe optional anisotropic etching, the size (diameter) of the holepatterns 237 are reduced, as shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D. FIG. 4C is across sectional view and FIG. 4D is a top view. The diameter W12 of thereduced hole patterns 237 is in a range from about 3 nm to about 30 nmin some embodiments.

The various embodiments or examples described herein offer severaladvantages over the existing art. In the present disclosure, anextension material layer is formed over a photo resist pattern toincrease a “height” of the photo resist pattern. By forming theextension material layer, even if the photo resist patterns have thinportions having a smaller thickness, it is possible to prevent a patterndefect (an open circuit defect). Further, since it is possible tocompensate for the thickness of the photo resist pattern 130, it ispossible to effectively remove resist residues by the descum etchingoperations which may also etch the photo resist pattern.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, in a patternformation method, a photo resist pattern is formed over a target layerto be patterned. An extension material layer is formed on the photoresist pattern. The target layer is patterned by using at least theextension material layer as an etching mask. In one or more of theforegoing and the following embodiments, the photo resist patternincludes line patterns, and the extension material layer is formed oneach of the line patterns. In one or more of the foregoing and thefollowing embodiments, the extension material layer is deposited on asurface of the target layer between the line patterns, and a thicknessT1 of the extension material layer deposited on the surface of thetarget layer between the line patterns and a thickness T2 of theextension material layer deposited on each of the line patterns satisfy2≤T2/T1. In one or more of the foregoing and the following embodiments,30≤T2/T1≤300 is satisfied. In one or more of the foregoing and thefollowing embodiments, the extension material layer formed on a surfaceof the target layer is etched before the target layer is etched. In oneor more of the foregoing and the following embodiments, an aspect ratioof each of the line patterns is at least 2. In one or more of theforegoing and the following embodiments, a space between adjacent linepatterns is in a range from about 5 nm to about 20 nm. In one or more ofthe foregoing and the following embodiments, the extension materiallayer is deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under anon-conformal deposition condition. In one or more of the foregoing andthe following embodiments, the CVD is plasma CVD performed under apressure equal to or higher than 20 mTorr. In one or more of theforegoing and the following embodiments, the extension material layerincludes one selected from the group consisting of a carbon basedmaterial, a silicon oxide based material, and a silicon nitride basedmaterial. In one or more of the foregoing and the following embodiments,a source gas for the CVD includes one selected from the group consistingof hydro carbon and fluorocarbon. In one or more of the foregoing andthe following embodiments, a source gas for the CVD includes a siliconcontaining gas.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, in a methodof manufacturing a semiconductor device, a photo resist pattern isformed over a target layer to be patterned. A descum etching isperformed to remove photo resist residue. An extension material layer isformed on the photo resist pattern. The target layer is patterned byusing at least the extension material layer as an etching mask. In oneor more of the foregoing and the following embodiments, the descumetching is performed after the extension material layer is deposited. Inone or more of the foregoing and the following embodiments, in thedescum etching, a part of the target layer is etched. In one or more ofthe foregoing and the following embodiments, the descum etching includesa first descum etching and a second descum etching performed under adifferent condition than the first descum etching, and the extensionmaterial layer is deposited between the first descum etching and thesecond descum etching. In one or more of the foregoing and the followingembodiments, the first descum etching is performed before the extensionmaterial layer is deposited and an etching gas includes fluorine, andthe second descum etching is performed after the extension materiallayer is deposited and an etching gas includes chlorine.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, in a methodof manufacturing a semiconductor device, a first dielectric layer isformed over a semiconductor substrate. A nitrogen-free layer is formedover the first dielectric layer. A metallic hard mask layer is formedover the nitrogen-free layer. A second dielectric layer is formed overthe metallic hard mask layer. A third dielectric layer is formed overthe second dielectric layer. A fourth dielectric layer is formed overthe third dielectric layer. A photo resist pattern over a fourthdielectric layer. A descum etching is performed to remove photo resistresidue. An extension material layer is formed on the photo resistpattern. The fourth dielectric layer is patterned by using at least theextension material layer as an etching mask. In one or more of theforegoing and the following embodiments, the third dielectric layer ispatterned by using the patterned fourth dielectric layer as an etchingmask. The second dielectric layer and the metallic hard mask layer arepatterned by using the patterned third dielectric layer as an etchingmask. The first dielectric layer is patterned by using the patternedmetallic hard mask layer and second dielectric layer as an etching mask.In one or more of the foregoing and the following embodiments, the firstdielectric layer is made of a low-k dielectric material, and themetallic hard mask layer is made of TiN.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments or examples sothat those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of thepresent disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that theymay readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing ormodifying other processes and structures for carrying out the samepurposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments orexamples introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realizethat such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit andscope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes,substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spiritand scope of the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pattern formation method, comprising: forming aphoto resist pattern over a target layer to be patterned by using anextreme ultra violet lithography operation; forming an extensionmaterial layer on the photo resist pattern; and patterning the targetlayer by using at least the extension material layer as an etching mask,wherein the photo resist pattern includes line patterns having differentthicknesses.
 2. The pattern formation method of claim 1, wherein: athickness of the extension material layer on a side face of the photoresist pattern decreases from a top of the photo resist pattern to abottom of the photo resist pattern.
 3. The pattern formation method ofclaim 2, wherein: the extension material layer is formed on a surface ofthe target layer between the line patterns, and a thickness T1 of theextension material layer formed on the surface of the target layerbetween the line patterns and a thickness T2 of the extension materiallayer formed on a top face of each of the line patterns satisfy 2≤T2/T1.4. The pattern formation method of claim 3, wherein 30≤T2/T1≤300.
 5. Thepattern formation method of claim 1, wherein the extension materiallayer includes one selected from the group consisting of a silicon oxidebased material, and a silicon nitride based material.
 6. The patternformation method of claim 5, wherein the extension material layer isformed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) under a non-conformaldeposition condition.
 7. The pattern formation method of claim 6,wherein the CVD is plasma CVD performed under a pressure equal to orhigher than 20 mTorr.
 8. The pattern formation method of claim 6,wherein a source gas for the CVD includes a silicon containing gas.
 9. Amethod of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: forming aphoto resist pattern over a target layer to be patterned by using anextremer ultra violet lithography operation; performing a first etchingto remove photo resist residue; forming an extension material layer onthe photo resist pattern; performing a second etching after theextension material layer is formed to remove a part of the extensionmaterial layer formed on the target layer; and patterning the targetlayer by using at least the extension material layer as an etching mask,wherein: the first etching and the second etching are performed usingdifferent etching gases from each other.
 10. The method of claim 9,wherein the first etching is performed using fluorocarbon.
 11. Themethod of claim 9, wherein the second etching is performed using Cl₂.12. The method of claim 9, wherein the target layer includes a siliconcontaining polymer.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein in each of thefirst and second etching, the target layer is etched in an amount of 1nm to 5 nm.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the photo resist patternincludes a plurality of holes.
 15. A method of manufacturing asemiconductor device, comprising: forming an underlying structureincluding a memory device; forming a first layer made of a low-kdielectric material over the underlying structure; forming a secondlayer made of silicon oxide over the first layer; forming a third layerover the second layer; forming a fourth layer made of a silicon baseddielectric material over the third layer; forming a fifth layer made ofan organic material over the fourth layer; forming a sixth layer made ofa silicon containing polymer over the fifth layer; forming a photoresist pattern over a sixth layer; forming an extension material layeron the photo resist pattern; patterning the sixth layer by using atleast the extension material layer as an etching mask; patterning thefifth, fourth and third layers and removing the photo resist pattern andthe extension material layer; removing the fifth layer; patterning thesecond and first layers by using the patterned fourth and third layersas an etching mask; and removing the patterned fourth and third layers.16. The method of claim 15, wherein the photo resist pattern includesline patterns having different thicknesses.
 17. The method of claim 16,wherein the third layer is made of TiN.
 18. The method of claim 15,wherein: a thickness of the extension material layer on a side face ofthe photo resist pattern decreases from a top of the photo resistpattern to a bottom of the photo resist pattern.
 19. The method of claim15, wherein the extension material layer includes one selected from thegroup consisting of a silicon oxide based material, and a siliconnitride based material.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the photoresist pattern is formed by an extreme ultra violet lithographyoperation.